American Express -The Brand of the Year 2017

The Leaders Report

American Express -The Brand of the Year 2017

American Express delivers high quality, innovative and world class products and services while maintaining the highest standards of governance and ethics.

EXPRESSION OF GLORY

Established in 1850 as an express delivery service, American Express has remained an industry leader, embracing both innovation and tradition. As the company has grown and evolved, it has never strayed from the customer service ethos and values on which it was built – trust, security, integrity, quality, good citizenship, respect and customer commitment. Today, American Express is the largest global payments network that owns relationships with both customers and merchants. It employs 55,000 people globally and is the world’s largest card issuer by purchase volume – processing millions of transactions every day and driving more than US$1 trillion (Rs. 6,600,000 crore) in commerce annually. The company is headquartered in New York and has had a presence in India for nearly a century.

BRICKS AND CLICKS

Present in India since 1921, American Express provides high-quality payment and travel services to individuals and businesses. Some of the key products include charge and credit cards, merchant services, corporate payment solutions and loyalty services through a network of offices in Gurgaon, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat, Baroda, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh.

RESOLUTE AND RESONANCE

American Express’ direct relationships with millions of consumers, businesses and merchants worldwide – combined with leading-edge marketing, information management and rewards capabilities – enable the company to offer an array of valuable services that enrich lives, build business success, encourage financial responsibility and create communities with common interests.

Over the past several years, the company has begun to aggressively introduce new products and services in the marketplace.

American Express’ portfolio includes charge card and lending products for consumers and businesses of all sizes. In the charge card category, consumers have the option of choosing from the American Express Platinum Card and the American Express Gold Charge Card. American Express also has in its portfolio by invitation only, the Black Centurion Card which was launched in India in 2014.

The Centurion Card offers the ultimate in personal service with a benefits package that is unmatched by any other card. With the Centurion Card, American Express takes personal service to a new level giving its cardmembers access to dedicated teams of around-the-clock experts in travel, entertainment and finance, seven-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year.

Building on the success of its charge cards, the brand also leads the lending space. American Express offers a wide range of products – American Express Platinum Reserve Credit Card, Jet Airways American Express Credit Card, American Express Platinum Travel Card, American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card and American Express MakeMyTrip Credit Card.

In the corporate payments category, American Express offers the American Express Platinum Corporate Card, American Express Gold Card, Jet Airways American Express Corporate Card, American Express Business Travel Account, American Express Corporate Purchasing Card and the American Express Corporate Meeting Card.

TRAILBLAZING

In 2013, American Express introduced a convenient solution called eZeClick – which provides American Express Card Members a safe and fast method to transact online. eZeClick addresses the time-consuming and frequently frustrating online payment experience that requires cardmembers to fill multiple fields of information before a transaction can be completed online. Powering and securing this issue is American Express SafeKey which generates a One Time Password on the cardmember’s mobile phone and e-mail in real time.

BRAND COMMITMENTS

American Express strongly believes that serving communities is not only integral to running a business successfully; it is also a part of its responsibility as a citizen of the world. The mission of its programmes is to bring to life the American Express value of good corporate citizenship by supporting communities in ways that enhance the company’s reputation with employees, customers, business partners and other stakeholders. This is achieved by supporting visionary non-profit organisations that are preserving and sustaining unique historic places for the future, developing new leaders for tomorrow or encouraging community service where their employees and customers live and work.

American Express’ vision is to be the world’s most respected service brand. The company is committed to making a positive difference in its card member’s lives. Making customers feel respected and special through unsurpassed service, expertise and integrity is the brand promise of American Express. <

Power facts

In 1850, more than 100 years before charge cards were introduced; American Express was founded as an express delivery service.

American Express’ first logo was a watch dog, which represented trust, safety and security

In 2016, American Express celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Membership Rewards programme